The Misconceptions of an Irish Ginger
by Mizayo
Summary: When young Elnora Hart sets out on her journey through the stars, she expected to go from planet to planet without a care in the world, studying alien cultures and lifestyles. But when it's time to leave her current planet, Cardassia Prime, will there be something holding her back? Or will the new planet, Vulcan, bring her peace of mind? Tons of OCs everywhere! Run for your lives!
1. Chapter 1

Leaving was always the hardest. Whether it was a pleasant trip or something far less so, saying goodbye was never fun. Some planets, such as Risa or Qo'noS, were somewhat of a relief when it was finally time to go, but whether or not you actually had a good time on the planet, you always had friends that made it hard to leave.

Elnora Hart was finding it difficult to make herself pack. She stood in the middle of her room, holding a small stack of neatly folded clothing. She took a deep breath and once again forced her feet to move toward the bed where her suitcases lied. Taking her time, she softly pushed in the pile of clothes, making sure that they wouldn't get bunched up on her trip. Another long look at the suitcase had her plopping down on the bed beside, sighing. _I didn't think it would be this difficult_, she thought in the silence of her room.

A beeping from the door made her jump out of her thoughts. Wearily, she mumbled, "Come in." It was quiet enough throughout the apartment that she knew she wouldn't have to raise her voice. The door opened then, and a small figure peaked around the edge of the wall. His face, still young, had scales along his forehead and eyes, around his ears and down his jaw onto his shoulders. They weren't quite as prominent as the adults of his species, and the tone nearly blended into the rest of his smooth, grey skin. At the sight of him, Nora smiled. "Hey, Rut," she called affectionately, motioning the young cardassian inside.

Rutinn smiled, padding his way around the door and plopping beside Nora on her bed. "So... You're going now?" he asked, his innocent grin not leaving but his sadness showing through nevertheless. She nodded at him, getting back up to try and force herself to pack again. There was silence for a while. "Do you really have to leave?"

This almost made Nora start crying, but she pushed the feelings back and stood her ground against the oncoming emotions. She would have to get used to doing that. "Rut, you know I do. We knew at the beginning of the year this would happen." But she didn't. She thought Cardassia Prime would be like the others; a fairly neutral trip with good acquaintances and a quick goodbye. She never thought she would become so attached to Cardassia and her people. Nora swallowed the lump in her throat. "Besides, it's not like we won't ever see each other again. I'll call all the time, and I'll probably come back a couple times a year. You know how much I love you guys," she said, her heart thumping painfully.

Rutinn looked down, his lips curling grimly. If she didn't know any better, she'd have said he looked years older in that moment. "I'll miss you though."

Nora smiled painfully, coming back towards the suitcase with another pile of folded clothes. She sat them on top of the rest, not caring how they were placed, and kneeled in front of him. "Rutinn, you're only nine years old. You've got a lot of life left. Don't go worrying about seeing me again when you've got so much ahead of you." She paused, waiting for him to look up into her eyes. "You'll get big and strong and smart, just like your daddy. Then, maybe when you're old enough, you might even get to come to Earth to see me sometimes." She smiled as a spark of hope flashed in his brilliant blue eyes. "How's that sound? Good, right?"

The young cardassian smiled finally, nodding. "You know you're my best friend, right?"

"And you're mine," she said with a smirk, reaching up to ruffle his hair, thinking better of it, and gently patting his cheek. Cardassian hair was fairly greasy, not to mention how touchy they are about it. Just then another beep came from the door and this time it was Rutinn's turn to jump. She giggled softly as she stood up and went to the door. "Come."

Another very familiar cardassian came in. He was a fairly burly man with a square face and strong eyes. His scales were a fair bit darker than Rutinn's, and they stood out much more, showing his superior age proudly. He had a sort of bounce in his step when he saw Nora, and the broad smile he displayed fully reached his eyes. "Ellie!" he exclaimed, taking big steps towards her and grabbing her in such a big hug that it had her lifting off the ground and her breath going short.

"Earot!" she wheezed, happy to see her friend but slowly dying from lack of oxygen.

The cardassian heard her gasp for breath and quickly set her back on her feet, his scales turning slightly darker in embarrassment. "Oop, sorry El. I was just a bit excited that I got to see you before you were off," he said with a broad smile creeping up his face. He had such a big brother vibe about him that Nora automatically smiled as well. After the look was exchanged, Earot's smile waned slightly. "So you're well and truly leavin' then?"

Elnora nodded solemnly, looking away from the cardassian's face. "I have to. Gotta finish the research - you of all people should know that," she said as she smiled, nudging him in the arm. She knew about his difficult times as a lab assistant and liked to poke fun as often as she could. "Besides, I'm excited to see what the vulcans' social lives are like. I've heard a lot of stories about how they're almost completely haphephobic. It's fascinating," she said, a hint of a smile playing at her lips. Everyone knew how much she was invested in her research into alien culture - she'd spent almost five years on it. It was the fact that she was leaving Cardassia Prime to continue with said research that had her doubting herself. But she knew she had to keep going; if not for her sake then for the sake of science. She was a pursuer of knowledge - it was kind of default.

"What's that mean?" Rutinn interjected, renewing his presence in the conversation.

Nora just smiled at the younger cardassian, favoring his ignorance. She'd never admit it, but she loved explaining things to people. "It's a fear of being touched. Or, rather, an extreme dislike of physical contact, in the vulcans' case. They're touch telepathic, I've heard. If that's the case I don't blame them for avoiding it..." her voice trailed off as she thought of all the different things she honestly didn't know about the vulcans. It was a large part of her research - to go to a planet without having much information beforehand. Other than some common knowledge things, of course. She didn't trust the information banks; she preferred to experience the foreign culture firsthand.

"A species that doesn't touch?" asked Rutinn again, his eyes widening.

The question brought Nora back down to Eart- Cardassia, as it were. She smiled again. She should have known that the concept of a society that fears touch would boggle the mind of a cardassian. She had learned very early on in the year that cardassians were very physical, even overly so in some occurrences. It was strange, at first, to encounter a species that is more comfortable with touch than humans. Humans were known for being very easy-going with their physical contact and shamefully known for their practice of casual sex. On the first planet she visited, New Romulus, Nora learned that while some species still practiced sex outside of marriage, it was usually under some sort of context such as a ritual, slavery, or even a branch of torture. But it was very clear that the rest of the galaxy seemed to think that humans were the only species to interact in such a casual manner simply for the act of pleasuring both parties before heading separate ways, unharmed and unchanged. It confused almost all species, and if Nora was honest with herself, it was quite funny. She giggled, partially at her own train of thought and Rut's question of shock. "Yes, spoonhead," she said mockingly, giving the young cardassian a smirk.

This brought Rutinn right off the previous subject. His jaw went slack for a moment, then he huffed and narrowed his eyes in challenge. "Pinky," he smirked.

"Scales."

"Squishy."

"Big neck."

"Hairy brow."

"Cold blood."

Rutinn seemed to hesitate then, trying rapidly to come up with a new insult but falling short. "Uh... Three eyes!"

At this, Nora was genuinely surprised. She'd been on the metaphorical road so long without people mentioning it that she had almost forgotten about her eyepiece. She was legally blind in her left eye, so she had to attach a piece to it to allow her to see clearly. Strangely enough it was more convenient to have it rather than to just get surgery to fix the eye because the piece worked as a communicator and camera as well. To be honest it was really handy, and because of this she was never that self-conscious about it. However she feigned offense when Rut said this and he looked genuinely proud of himself before she burst out into laughter. "Ha! Nice comeback," she grinned, dramatically wiping a nonexistent tear from her eye.

This time Earot stepped forward again, putting his hands against both of the insulters' chests. "Alright children, stop fighting or you'll have to go to separate rooms!" he shouted before almost collapsing in laughter as well. God, she was going to miss these people.

* * *

Later on that evening, Nora stood outside of her apartment, her bags draped around her feet as she waited for the transport. It was nearing nightfall, and the soft trilling of the native insects soothed her nerves slightly. They were nothing like her home's locusts, but the repeated beat of a small tweeting reminded her of them nonetheless. This is what she was out here for - to go to such alien places, learn the little quirks that nobody else notices, compare and contrast, discover things that normally wouldn't be interesting, and just... live a different life.

She took in a deep breath, reveling in the night's crisp air. Cardassia Prime was an overall humid place throughout almost the entire year. A constant heat coupled with the dense liquid in the atmosphere made it a difficult place to bare sometimes, and she had never expected these last few nights to be so cool and clearing to her poor lungs. It was like a quiet summer night after a hard day's work out in the sun. Come to think of it, it was strange how similar Cardassia was to Earth. The overall atmosphere was almost identical, save for the temperature, and the people were so warm and welcoming - much like a tropical vacation spot. Except, y'know, the giant cities and industrial feel. ...Maybe not so tropical. Or, really, touristy. Or the best place to get a vacation. ...Whatever.

While Nora was lost in thought, a tall figure had crept up behind her. He wrapped his long arms around her shoulders, making her jump in surprise. Cardassia wasn't really the kind of place you'd want to get snuck up on all the time. In fact, it was near Qo'noS. Or maybe even worse, since a klingon would simply whack you with a bat'leth. But then Nora realized she had lost her train of thought once again and forced herself back into reality. She grounded herself, and after only a few seconds knew exactly who it was that had snuck up on her. The tension she had been holding eased completely and she leaned into the embrace.

Earot shifted, a bit awkwardly with her weight, and brought his face closer to hers, leaning so his breath tickled her neck. He was silent for the longest time, and Nora was quite happy to just stay in the silent presence of her friend. Soon, though, he started to speak in a voice that reverberated through her spine, "I'm going to miss you."

It was the typical phrase she had been hearing for the past week. Nora smiled, shaking her head. "And I will miss you."

"I wish I could come with you," he mumbled into her shoulder, his chin bumping against her neck as he spoke.

Nora sighed. They'd talked about this too many times in the past few months. She pulled away from him, leaving the comfort of his warmth to look into his eyes. "You know you can't, Earot. You've got your nephew to take care of," she paused as she saw a flash of grief in his eyes. She decided to push that feeling, wanting him to understand the weight of what she was trying to say. "Your sister wouldn't want you to abandon him for the sake of some ginger. Rut's a good kid, Earot. Besides..." she trailed off, turning her gaze so she didn't have to see the hurt in his eyes again. "We've already talked about... _us_." Another pause. "You know I love you, but... you're like a big brother to me. I don't think I could..."

He cut her off, stepping away from her but reaching up to grasp her arm. "I know. I'm sorry. I just... I don't want you to leave."

A small smile couldn't help but twitch at Nora's lips. "I'll call you all the time, and I'll come back so much that you'll be begging me to stay on vulcan," she said, smirking. She was happy to see his face lighten at that, and he smiled as well. Suddenly a strange beeping came from behind them, and Nora turned to see her transport. "God, I guess it's time to go now..." she said, wishing it weren't so.

There was a pause as Earot gave her a long look. "I... You want help with your bags?"

Nora smiled, feeling her eyes prickle slightly at the flood of emotions. "I'd be very grateful, thank you."

After a hard time trying to stuff everything into the transport, finally they were able to look back proudly at their work. For a moment, they both forgot why they had been doing it to begin with and were just happy to have gotten it done. Then reality flooded once again and Nora immediately leaped into Earot's arms. The hug was short, but it said all it needed to say. Nora craned her neck slightly to the side, planting a small kiss to his cheek. "I'll see you later?"

Earot smirked, then, putting back on his facade of easy confidence. "You can count on it."

Nora couldn't help but let out a small laugh, though it sounded strangely like a hiccup. She shook her head softly, then turned around and stepped gracefully into the transport. It wasn't the last time she would see him, she had to remind herself. _You'll see him and Rut all the time. You'll call and visit, and they might even come to Earth when all this is over..._ Her thoughts strayed as she settled into the transport, forcing herself to not look back.

"Are you ready to go ma'am?" The voice of the driver caught her off guard for a moment, however she recovered quickly.

She let out a small breath, closing her eyes for only a small moment. She then turned to the driver with a grim smile. "As ready as I'll ever be."

* * *

The journey was one of the longest she had taken in her course across the stars. Most of her previous trips had been only a few days transport - her longest being a week from Earth to New Romulus, though Risa to Cardassia was a close third - but it seems that this would be the largest of them all. The ship itself wasn't that bad, and neither was its crew, but it was small and a bit dank - the best she could afford on her budget. Of course she'd saved up quite a bit of money for this journey, but she'd been frivolous the first couple years, and now had to get by with the basics. She'd be fine, if she was smart. Still, that didn't mean she had to like being on small ships that packed you in like crates of luggage.

Eleven days is what it turned out to be in the end. She had to admit, the time did seem to slip away when you couldn't be arsed to get up and do your daily routine. But she couldn't quite pin the blame on the ship for that, could she? No, what really kept her from doing what she needed to do was the emotions clouding her thoughts. She had promised over and over again that she would keep in touch with her friends on Cardassia, but now it didn't seem like a thing she could do. She knew she was going to be overly busy throughout her stay on Vulcan, and even more so because of the mental strain.

Oh yes, she knew what she was getting into in that playing field. Lack of cultural knowledge about the species or not, it was quite common information that vulcans were strictly pro-logic. She wouldn't be able to express herself through touch or feeling, and she was quite certain she would become aggravated on more than one occasion. Of course she mustn't be bothered with any preconceptions she has about the species. She can't be bothered with what other people have said about the race. She draws her own conclusions, and makes her own theories. She'd done it before with every other species she'd visited - and it turned out quite well, really.

The romulans had been a bit stuffy, but kind overall, if you knew where to look. The klingons did seem to want to kill her quite often, but she managed to crack the shell of a few here and there, and she didn't die by the end of the year (though that visit, she had to say, was her least favorite so far). Risa wasn't nearly as peaceful and sex-oriented as the stereotypes had suggested, and she had learned quite early on that Risa's actual native community was in poor shape, as well as its economic power, and that many of their resorts were misleading to the public eye. Bajor was, actually, quite like she had heard it to be. There wasn't much mystery behind the way the bajorans lived after the Occupation and the Dominion War, and were fairly open-book. They were a religious species, relying on their Prophets and the wormhole, and also quite a feisty bunch. Truly, Nora was the most relaxed and well taken care of there, and almost felt as if she were on vacation, as it was a very lush and prosperous planet, despite its previous hardships. Cardassia Prime was probably the most mislead of them all. She was told, before going there, that cardassians were sneaky and sharp. They weren't to be trusted, whether or not their being polite. Of course she had not listened to those rumors, and once she had got there, the cardassian people were warm and welcoming, enveloping her with a grace and ease that she had not seen before. She truly felt as if she was welcome there, a feeling she had not gotten from any of the other planets.

And so, with a stride in her step, Nora obliterated any negative thoughts she had been having about Vulcan. She forgot about all the terrible things she had heard about their staunchy attitude and their overbearing nature. She stomped on the stereotypes that told her they were stuck-up and aloof. She threw caution out the airlock and steeled herself for the landing that was coming in a few - now.

God. She hadn't thought they were landing so soon... Deep breaths as the rest of the passengers (only two other vulcans who had been on the other side of the ship the entire time) passed by, and some crewmembers unloaded some cargo. After a few minutes, Nora steeled herself, as if going to battle, and stood up abruptly, startling a few crewmembers who were chatting by an airlock. "Sorry," she mumbled automatically, then turned toward the docking bay.

And then she was there. It was the last door that separated her from this big, rusty cargo ship - and Vulcan. A steadying breath: _in... out_. No expression, even breathing, and a steeled mind. She took a step, and the door opened.


	2. Chapter 2

The wave of crippling heat was instantaneous.

Nora nearly stopped breathing at the sudden change of temperature. It was as if stepping into a thousand Cardassia Primes, though after only seconds did Nora feel that it wasn't humid at all. The waves of heat were completely dry - it really _was_ like a desert. She had heard stories about the dry, rocky plains of Vulcan, but she had never really thought they would be so _accurate_.

It took at least a few minutes before Nora was able to even _start_ adjusting to the extremities of the planet. Even as the heat beat down on her like an angry clown, the gravity was the worst. She immediately felt a hundred pounds heavier, and her breathing was extremely labored due to the strain of the thin atmosphere. Now Nora understood why humans never visited Vulcan. It wasn't the people - though she thought they might have a _little_ to do with it - it was the planet itself.

Determined to get to her new transport - and in turn her reserved apartment - Nora took as little time as she could getting away from the ship and over towards where the taxi was already waiting for her. Luckily, some of the ferengi crewmembers were easier to adapt and helped Nora move her bags, as she very nearly couldn't walk herself. After a few strained minutes of loading up yet another transport, Nora was able to plop into the vehicle with a huff. "God, it's a bit more than I thought..." she said absently, completely forgetting were she was.

"To what are you referring?" asked the vulcan driver as she started up the transport.

Nora jumped slightly, but didn't dwell on it too much. "Um... Vulcan. It's quite a bit more... _more_ than I expected." Of course she wouldn't be able to find proper words when finally faced with her first vulcan. Though that was another worry that had already crossed her mind. She had never actually met a vulcan face-to-face, even at her university. Though, to be fair, she never really did expect to meet a vulcan at SacS. Sacramento State was big, of course - it was California - but it wasn't quite the _best_ on Earth, and usually if a vulcan did go to school on Earth, it was to Starfleet Academy.

Of course there goes her train of thought again. When the driver spoke up, Nora had the distinct impression that the vulcan knew that her mind had been wandering. "Yes, my homeworld seems to have a difficult climate for humans to adjust to." Nora didn't know exactly what to say to that, and instead decided to just keep quiet before shoving her foot in her mouth. After only a few minutes, they arrived at a smaller complex near the edge of a market district. After prepping herself for the strength of standing up again, Nora got up shakily, praying to God that she didn't fall flat on her face in the street.

Her driver was kind enough to help her with her luggage, stating that she was far more equipped to carry heavy objects than Nora was. She couldn't argue with that - and besides, there were only half a dozen cases, which for a full year - plus her accumulated possessions from the other five planets - wasn't really that much.

After finally getting up to the top floor - which was only the third, as it wasn't very big at all - and into her apartment, Nora immediately headed for the environmental configuration panel. After waiting for her gracious driver to leave the apartment, she cranked up the conditioning to a mere 26c. A few more seconds and she was able to relax onto a small, dark red couch on the far side of the main room. Although the environmental systems couldn't change gravity or atmospheric density, it sure did help lift half the elephant off her chest.

Hopefully Nora would be able to adapt to the environment at some point during her stay. Or at least a little bit. She had found, through her many stays on other planets, that she was quite flexible when it came to climates. New Romulus was a fair bit similar to Vulcan, now that she thought about it, though it was slightly less... extreme. She had also been overwhelmed there, but it was mostly because it had been her first planet and she wasn't used to anything other than Earth, and hadn't realized the planets would be so extremely different.

While her thoughts traveled, her body became aware of its exhausted state. When Nora tried to get up once again, she realized with a huff that she was just too tired to do much more at the moment. It was getting late anyhow - at least for Vulcan, her clock would have been noon or so - and she knew the best way to get used to a planet was to sleep off the first day, maybe even the second, and try to get into its day cycle as well. So to be honest, Nora felt as if this was the best opportunity to go ahead and relax. But she never made it to her bedroom, and ended up slipping into a deep sleep on her couch.

* * *

When Nora awoke, she felt much more rejuvenated. She had a dreamless night of simply healing her brain and adjusting her body, and the world felt so much easier to take on now. Sitting up on the little couch and stretching her arms, Nora took her time standing up. She hoped it wouldn't be nearly as hard as yesterday, and was relieved when all she got was a knee popping. Her poor legs were still straining to keep this new weight up, but luckily they were fairly strong (she did cross-country in secondary school) and didn't feel like they would give out anymore.

She stode over to the replicator, hoping that they might have some Earth foods on bank - her muscles usually adapted to a planet quickly, but her stomach never did catch on. Thinking for a moment, Nora decided to go with something simple and widely-known. "Spaghetti, please." Nora nearly sighed in relief as the replicator went to work on materializing her meal. If nothing else, she could eat spaghetti the whole year.

After another couple hours checking out her apartment and trying to settle in, Nora decided it was time to get a bit of a peak around town, or at least her own area. She dressed in her lighter clothes - throwing on a white tank top with a blue shawl, a short skirt and leggings. The vulcans may not appreciate her outfit, but it was hot and she had always been a sucker for the late 20th century - especially the music and clothes. She hooked her eyepiece up to her ear and tied ginger hair into her signature loose braid. After deciding that she had done everything she could in the apartment, she headed out the door.

The street on which she now lived was fairly deserted. There was a couple walking in the opposite direction a ways away, but other than that there were no people around. Sighing, Nora crossed the street and headed down a couple blocks. She tried to remember the route her driver had taken to her apartment. They had passed a few shops and it seemed like as good a place to start as any.

After about twenty minutes of trying to find the shops and walking nonstop, Nora felt completely out of breath and incredibly sweaty. She was in good shape, she knew, but it was still a bit of a bummer to become so tired so quickly. Finding a small bench on the side of the road, Nora plopped herself on it and tried to cool off at least a little before heading onwards. She took her shawl and dabbed lightly at her forehead. When she brought it back down, there was a dark blue mark where a small stain of sweat was. Groaning, she started waving the piece of cloth around, trying to dry it off before someone saw her in all her gross glory.

But it was too late. She was growling in frustration, flapping the shawl furiously, as a young vulcan woman came striding near her, a small look of curiosity in her eyes. When Nora noticed her, her face turned crimson red and she immediately threw the shawl back onto her chest, trying to look normal but failing horribly. Meekly, she said, "Hi."

The vulcan nodded slightly. "You seem to be overheated," she said plainly. Her voice sounded a lot smaller than Nora would have expected, and her age seemed to drop from thirty to eighteen. It was strange how large an impact it was, but now that she studied the vulcan woman Nora noticed that she was a fair bit shorter than others she had seen so far, and her face was more rounded and soft. She definitely was at least twenty, if not younger.

Nora cleared her throat awkwardly, folding her arms over her chest to try and hide the sweat stain. "Uhm... yeah. It's a bit hot for a human, and I've been walking for a while." She smiled sheepishly.

The vulcan nodded again, but this time more firmly, as if confirming a thought. Then she paused, hesitating. "Why are you walking outside if the temperature is uncomfortable?"

"Well... I was trying to find the shops. I'm new here, and I wanted to check out some of the places to go. I, uh... seem to have gotten lost, though."

"I see. I am not due until later this evening. Perhaps I could assist you?" She looked almost eager to not go wherever she was 'due'.

But Nora definitely needed help, even if she just wanted to go back to her apartment. _God,_ she thought, _I don't even know where home is.._. So she nodded, standing up slowly and trying to look as dignified as she could. "I would appreciate that, thank you."

The vulcan nodded once more before heading off in the direction Nora just came from. She was slightly confused for a moment before realized that the vulcan wasn't slowing down for her, and walked quickly to try and catch up with her. As she stood next to the vulcan, she tried to study her more. The only other vulcan she had been this close to was her transport, and that hadn't been a very pleasant time, what with feeling as if she was suffocating. But this time she had more of her bearings, besides being slightly short of breath and sweaty.

And so she studied her walking partner. First off, Nora noticed that the vulcan was still taller than her, despite looking about the same age as her niece. Her hair was a long, elegant black that cut sharply just below her shoulders and around her face. She was fairly lanky, though Nora couldn't see much of a figure under those dark robes. They were a dark purple, handing loosely around her and cutting off around her ankles and hang at her wrists. She wore a sort of wiry pair of sandals that looked like they were built to walk miles in the sand - that might well have been true, now that Nora thinks about it.

Suddenly the owner turns to face Nora, her dark brown eye looking at her with curiosity. "Is there something else you need?"

Nora was blank. "What?"

"You have been observing me for the past three point eight minutes. I assumed you desired something else from me." She raised a delicately shaped eyebrow.

"Oh. Uh, no... I was just..." Nora blushed, not realized she had been ogling the poor girl. "I was simply curious about the vulcan style. Whether or not you reflect the rest of your species," she said, trying with all her ability to sound at least somewhat composed and professional.

The vulcan seemed to contemplate this. "I see. If you are referring to my choice in clothing, then yes, it is similar to what most of the females of my species wear. My hair is cut in the same style as my mother's when she was my age, as we both go to the same barber. However my shoes are of my own fitting. I find them more comfortable to wear on a daily basis, and therefore it is logical for me to wear them instead of the usual footwear. Is there anything else?"

Well then. Nora was caught slightly off guard for a moment before thinking of another question. If this woman was willing to answer her questions, why not take advantage of the opportunity? "Um... Well, what about hair, skin, and eye color? Do you all have the same, or does it vary like it does in humans?"

She didn't hesitate this time. "Skin color varies, as it does with your species, however I do not believe the pigmentation is derived from a certain region of the planet like terrans. Hair color varies from black, as mine is, to a medium brown - though it is rare. Eye color also ranges from black to medium brown." She paused then, as if hesitating to ask a question. "May I make a personal observation?"

"Uh, sure."

"While I have not had many interactions with terrans, I have noticed that most of their physical attributes mirror ours. However, I have also noticed that yours are not similar to any I have seen."

She seemed almost timid in saying this, and Nora thought it was quite cute. She smiled at her vulcan companion. "Yeah, I've got some strange coloring. On Earth, they call me a 'ginger' because of my hair color and my freckles. And my eyes are strange even for humans, as most are a blue or a green, and mine seem to be a bit... teal. But it's been in my family for generations, so I never really think much of it."

The vulcan nodded again. "I see. However I am puzzled as to what these 'freckles' are."

Nora chuckled softly again, loving this young woman. "Well it's these little things," she says, pointing to the darker spots covering her cheeks and a bit down her neck and arms.

Another nod from the vulcan and they began walking again. "I had thought of the possibility of you being half trill, but then thought of their markings, and it did not match up."

Nora genuinely laughed at that one, but the vulcan didn't even glance at her. "Yeah, freckles are just a weird human mutation, just like our eyes. Way back when, we all had brown, but then there were little genetic mutations and then...voila! Pretty eyes!" she laughed, forgetting exactly with who she was in the company of - though honestly she didn't care much either way. A silence fell between them before they rounded another corner and Nora spoke up again. "So... I never did ask you - What's your name?"

The vulcan woman looked a bit taken aback at the question, as if she hadn't thought of it either, but the look quickly vanished back to a stoic, emotionless void. Nora giggled. "My name is T'Ara."

Now it was Nora's time to finally nod. "Does it mean anything? I've heard vulcan names often mean something significant."

T'Ara glanced at Nora, as if asking if she really wanted to know. After a moment, she straightened up her back and continues walking briskly. "It means Lady of the Bold Desert Wind."

Immediately, Nora was awed. "Wow. That's _really_ beautiful! I wish my name had a meaning like that..."

"I..." T'Ara paused. "Thank you." Another few strides and she glanced at Nora again. "And what of your name?"

"Oh, mine's just Elnora, though most people call me Nora or El. Or Ellie. Depends on how close you are to me, or how weird." She snickered as she remembered how much Earot loved calling her Ellie. Then she also remembered that she was no longer on Cardassia.

"Does Elnora have any significant meaning?"

Nora smirked, looking at the ground. "No, not really. It's a shorter version of Eleanor, though I'm not sure where that names comes from. Some sort of fancy goddess or queen or something. I dunno, back in Ireland it was a fairly common name."

"Ireland? Is that not a country on Terra?"

"Yep. Born an' raised there too, until I wanted to go to college. I've always been a big explorer of cultures, and I thought that America would be pretty cool since most of the alien that come to Earth go there. Y'know, 'cause of Starfleet and stuff..."

T'Ara took a moment, then nodded slowly. "I believe I know what you are trying to say."

Nora grinned then, wiping some sweat from her forehead with her arm. "Yeah. I moved when I was... oh, was it seventeen? Yeah."

T'Ara looked at her for a moment, as if shocked. Of course it didn't show though. "You were very young, then."

"Well, not _that_ young. I was an adult!" she said loudly, though she was just joking.

T'Ara didn't say anything, and Nora thought that she was just thinking over a correct response. But after almost two whole minutes, Nora gave up on a reply and just walked alongside her in silence. At that moment, T'Ara spoke up again. "Vulcans mature at the age of 41," she said simply, as if it was a statement all its own.

Nora was shocked. "Wow! Really? We humans mature at 18 years old."

T'Ara nodded again. "I see. I understand your statement now. If I may ask..." she trailed off, looking at Nora for confirmation. She got a short nod. "How old are you?"

"28, gonna be 29 in a few months. You?"

A small flash of green dotted the vulcan's ears. "I am 41 today."

"Oh wow! Happy birthday then!" she paused, seeing the still-green ears and starting to wonder about them. Was it a sign or sickness? Embarrassment? ... Having to pee? When T'Ara seemed to have not responded, Nora slowed down slightly in her pace. "What? Did I just say something offensive?"

"No," T'Ara said quickly, wishing to dispel any misunderstandings between them. "No, I am having to perform a ritual later on this evening to become an adult."

"Oh! So you're just coming of age? Wow." She paused. "So, you're... That's what you're putting off by walking me to the market?"

"Yes," she said simply, turning a corner again.

Then there it was. The street was lined with small buildings and a few stalls, though not that many. There weren't too many people out and about, but there was a good crowd of twenty or so. There were hardly any that were very distinct, though, and they all sort of blended in together. Funny how if you have the same hair and robes as everyone else, you kind of tend to not draw attention. ...Nora was going to pop out like a sore thumb.

"We are here," said T'Ara, before stepping back. "I am glad to be of service." Then she bowed and quickly walked away before Nora could say anything to her.

"Well then," she whispered, walking into the small crowd to see if she could blow her money on anything.


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N - Thank you so much for the reviews, guys! And don't worry, NG, I won't get discouraged - at least not right now. Too excited to stop writing! XD Sorry for the late update though, I've gotten fairly busy with school back in and all. The updates might come slower, but they _will_ still come. :) BTW, the song at the very beginning is _Vertigo_ by U2. I do not own it. Do not!**

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"_I can't stand the beats, I'm asking for the cheque, the girl with crimson nails, has Jesus 'round her neck. Swinging to the music! Swinging to the music!_" Nora sang as she danced around her apartment, music blaring from a PADD on her kitchen counter. She picked up a glass of ice tea and held it up, trying not to move her arm as she kept dancing. She placed it on a desk near her couch, then turned around towards the kitchen again. "_Hello hello, hola! I'm at a place called Vertigo! It's everything I wish I didn't know - but you give me something, I can feel! Fe-ee-el!_"

Nora grabs another PADD then, along with the one playing music, and turns back toward the couch. She allowed herself to dance for the remainder of the song before plopping down on the loveseat and grabbing the other PADD. Another song started to play but Nora turned it down, allowing it to become background music. She flipped through the contents of her personal PADD, passing the many files she had accumulated over the past five years. This thing was full to the brink with the data she had collected from other planets - it's where she kept everything she'd learned. When she found the file she was looking for, she tapped the button and the map bloated up to the size of the screen.

It was a map of the city she now lived in, Maakir, along with areas of interest that were along the outskirts. She had been at Vulcan almost a full week now and had investigated any large attractions she immediately thought of. Now it was time to get into the gritty inner workings of the city, and maybe do a bit of sightseeing as well. She had already been to a very popular, yet local, art gallery - which was surprising at first, to think that vulcans were artists and craftsmen as well as just scientists, but then Nora saw the 'illogic' in believing every member of the species perused the same career. Another sterling example why she tried not to let stereotypes get in the way of her perception of a species.

She flipped through the map, dragging it this way and that to try and find somewhere interesting to spend the day - or at least a couple hours. While she had seen the art gallery, she had not been able to see the theatre. Instantly she wondered what vulcan theatre would look like. Would they perform plays? Dance? Sing operas? Lecture? Probably lecture, but she knew she couldn't rule out the possibility of other artistic formats, as unlikely as it sounds.

But she didn't really feel like messing with times and seating arrangements at the moment. She moved over to the other side of the map when something caught her eye. She squinted, enlarging the screen so she could read properly. The name roughly translated to Maakir School for Special Children. It was a 'special' school for children? She didn't quite know what would cause a vulcan family to put their child in a smaller 'special' school, as vulcans generally viewed everyone as equals and worthy of equal attention. Was it 'special' as in mentally disabled? Extremely gifted? Wealthy? Curiosity got the better of her and she immediately wanted to check it out. She jumped up from the couch, turning off her music and scrambling out the door of her apartment and outside.

She didn't walk this time, as it hadn't gone very well the first time she had done it - and it may have also been that she knew the school was three times farther away than the market had been. After a few minutes wait, the transport she had called pulled in close to her and she stepped inside. The very first thing she realized was that the driver was the same one she had employed to take her to her apartment when she first arrived. She smiled brightly, proud of herself for finally noticing a sort of familiarity with a vulcan face. "Hi again!"

"Greetings. May I ask where you want to go?"

Nora suppressed a smile at how very _taxi_-ish the vulcan woman had sounded. Being a transport just didn't sound like the kind of job a vulcan would take - in fact imagining a vulcan with a _job_ never sounded quite right. They just always seemed so dedicated, and a _job_ didn't take much dedication at all. "Um..." she stated, realizing she had lost her thoughts again. She really needed to stop that if she was going to sound at least somewhat smart to her vulcan neighbors. "Maakir School for Special Children, please." She handed her card to the driver, who swiped it under the dash and handed it back to her with a nod.

After a few minutes of driving in silence, her transport spoke up. "May I inquire as to why you wish to visit this particular school?"

Nora shrugged. "I dunno, it seemed really interesting when I looked at it on the map. My job here has to do with learning all about your culture - at least as much as I can without being rude or nosy, of course - and it just seemed right that I visit a small school. Y'know, to see how it works. I've already been to your main public secondary school. Which was quite a fascinating trip, let me tell you," she said, her grin broadening and her eyes widening in thought. That had been one heck of a trip, as she remembered. The older students were really into their work, drumming on answers to impossibly hard questions in their weird little coves in the ground. Nora had never seen anything quite like it.

"Indeed? What about the public school fascinated you?" The driver looked genuinely curious as to why such an average school was 'fascinating'.

Nora paused, trying to think up a way of expressing her awe without accidentally being rude. "Well, it's just so different to how we conduct education on Earth. Our system is composed of a class of about twenty to thirty kids, and one teacher. The teacher introduces the subject and attempts to explain the basics before going further into the details. The kids are then often given their own work to do before the end of the class, or the next day, and when the teacher feels that all of the students have learned the subject completely, he or she gives the kids a test, then grades them on how well they did." She paused, looking at her driver for a reaction, which of course she did not get. "But from what I've seen, vulcan children are taught separately, and by a series of machines..."

The vulcan nodded slowly, taking in the information. "I believe that most public schools are as you say, yes. However there are some who practice a style of teaching that is not dissimilar to your own species'. Take the school I am currently transporting you to. The children there are taught in a specific way that is needed for their condition, which is usually as a class with a singular teacher. Although they also practice what I believe humans refer to as 'one-on-one' studies."

This information was new to Nora, and she had to give herself a mental note to write it down somewhere as soon as she had the opportunity, so she could store it in her PADD when she got back to the apartment. "So what exactly makes these kids special? Why do they need a separate education from the rest of the kids?"

The driver paused, hesitating to answer the question. Nora got the impression it was a bit of a touchy subject for the vulcans. "The children that attend the school are there for many different reasons. Some are slower to learn than others, therefore they need a different schedule set specifically for them. Some students are there for behavioral issues and need to be taught discipline, though it is rare." She paused again. "Most students, however, attend the school because of their mental shields."

Nora took a moment to process the information. "What do you mean?" she asked softly.

But then the transport pulled into the parking alongside the school building. The driver sat for a moment in silence, as if she was contemplating telling Nora what she wanted to know. But then she looked up at her, saying, "I don't believe I am the correct person to be questioned about this. I would suggest asking the headmaster or one of the teachers about such matters. They will likely give you a more comprehendible answer to your question. Good day, ma'am."

And then she drove off, leaving Nora alone outside the building. "Right. Thanks," she mumbled before turning to walk inside.

At first the building reminded her of some Earth hospitals, but then again the smell was too different and it wasn't nearly as big. The floors were shiny and the surfaces were pristine and orderly – but other than that, it was really just a nice looking building.

Nora walked down the hall for a little while until she came upon a door. "Headmaster T'Pahri," Nora read aloud, thinking about the actual title of the 'headmaster'. Surely vulcans would have different names for their educational leaders, but apparently not. Awkwardly, Nora stepped closer and leaned her head against the steel of the door. Suddenly it opened and she came crashing through the door and right into the arms of another vulcan. Immediately she got out of the vulcan's arms and straightened herself, blushing. Luckily she hadn't touched anything but the soft cloth of a dark red robe, or else the situation could have been a thousand times worse than it already was. She didn't exactly know why, but she was almost positive it would have been. "I-I'm sorry…" she didn't dare look up into the face of her victim.

Surprisingly, the voice that answered her was deep, and undoubtedly male. She hadn't had much opportunity to talk to any of the men of the species yet, though she had made small talk once or twice. "No apologies necessary. Good day," and he walked elegantly out of the office, leaving Nora dumbstruck and in the company of a very stern-looking woman.

"Why were you eavesdropping on the professor and I?" she asked accusingly, her wrinkles moving in a most unpleasant way.

"Erm, well I wasn't _eavesdropping_, per se, just… Waiting for an opportune moment to interrupt." She tried to sound as eloquent and sophisticated as she could – which wasn't much, honestly.

The vulcan's response was immediate. "There is never an opportune moment to interrupt." She paused, shifting in her seat and getting up. "May I ask who exactly you are?"

"My name is Elnora Hart. I'm just here to learn more about the education system of the vulcan people." She wasn't exactly lying - she was indeed at that particular school to learn _something_ about their education system. Sort of.

"The vulcan people are a very private race. What makes you think we would want to share our ways with humans?" It was almost as if the woman was so old that she had genuinely forgotten that she wasn't supposed to have emotions, as she indeed looked quite... irritated.

"I'm merely one human, ma'am. I am studying the lifestyle of the vulcan people for no purpose other than that of my own curiosity and to better improve my own way of life. I thought that if I learned how the your people teach themselves, I could learn as well." Well, that was a flat out lie. Nora had no intention of learning to be like vulcans, nor did she ever think she would. But maybe if she used it as an excuse to explore a bit, she'd be given a more lenient stay. Or she may get kicked out. But there was only one way to find out, right?

The vulcan seemed to hesitate for a long time, looking at Nora skeptically and with every bit of disdain she could muster. It was like she wanted to know that Nora was making her angry, though why a vulcan would want a human to know that they're experiencing emotion went above Nora's head. Finally, she muttered, "Very well. However, I can't have you wandering the halls and disrupting the children. I will assign to you a professor so that he or she will be able to watch you." She strode over to the corner of the room, pressing a button on the wall. "Headmaster T'Pahri to Professor Svek."

The answer was almost immediate. "Professor Svek here," came a male voice. It was somewhat distorted, however, by the seemingly cheaper comm unit.

"You are not conducting class at the moment, correct?"

"Correct."

"Attend my office immediately." And with that abrupt order, she set the comm down and turned back to Nora. She still didn't seem too pleased to be showing around a stranger, but she seemed even more relieved by the fact that she wouldn't have to deal with Nora much longer. They sat in silence for close to seven minutes until the door opened and a tall man dressed in a dark brown robe walked gracefully in. The headmaster regarded him slowly, her eyes travelling from him back to Nora. "You are to show this human areas of the school and answer her questions. She does not need to know more than what is on the databanks. Do not give her that information."

The professor raised an eyebrow but didn't say anything for a while, glancing at Nora before turning back to the headmaster abruptly. "If she is not to know more than what the databanks provide, what is the purpose to showing her firsthand?" he asked cautiously, as if he feared what the headmaster would say to that. Nora didn't blame him.

The headmaster almost scoffed. "I do not know why she has chosen to come here instead of consulting the databanks. Perhaps you should ask her once she has been lead out of my office." Now that was just plain rude. Did vulcans even _do_ rude?

"Very well." He turned to Nora. "Follow me." As Nora got up to follow the professor out the office, she noticed something about his robes. They were a rich, dark brown - almost like chocolate - and the texture looked very... soft. Suddenly her cheeks turned red as she felt blood rush to her cheeks. Once they were out of the office, he turned to her and immediately noticed her red cheeks. "Why has the pigmentation of your skin changed? Are you ill?"

This made her blush harder. "Ehm... No. I'm just..." She fumbled for the words. "Sorry for falling into you earlier."

This made him look away for a split second before turning back to her. "As I said before, no apologies are necessary. It was not intentional."

Before she had a turn to answer him, he started down the hall and towards where Nora guessed the classes were. A silence passed between them that made Nora feel super awkward, so she tried some sort of small talk. "So... what's your name?" But she already knew it was Svek. Maybe she had heard wrong?

"Svek."

Nope. This was more awkward than it had been with T'Ara. _Svek_... Nora turned the name over in her head. "So what's it mean?"

Professor Svek looked at her skeptically, much as T'Ara had done when she asked her, and Nora thought for a moment that maybe that question was rude. Or maybe it was just so incredibly well-known that asking was a stupid question - Nora had no idea what was right and wrong here. Finally, he turned his head back towards the end of the hall and answered, "To Come Honorably."

Not quite as impressive as T'Ara's had been, but it still struck Nora in a way that had her in a sort of awe. What was with all of the amazing names? Did vulcans ever have names that were just… _names_? "That is so cool!" she let out, excited, before she was able to stop herself. Was it rude to show emotion to a vulcan?

Svek seemed confused at her remark, but then said slowly, "Praise is unnecessary. It is simply a name."

Nora gave an obnoxious laugh. "Well it's a hellova lot better than _Elnora_. It doesn't even mean anything, let alone something super cool like yours…" she trailed off, noticing that they were nearing a door. It was fairly quiet in the hall, almost as if it was completely deserted, but Nora just blamed it on the thick walls.

When they stopped, Professor Svek turned towards Nora. "This classroom is mainly comprised of older children. The class is a makeup one, meant to allow children who were absent during their specified courses or who have not been able to fully understand those courses on one year alone. I tell you this because the children in this particular classroom are not to be disturbed, therefore we cannot enter. I ask that you understand our reasoning for this."

Nora didn't hesitate. "Of course! I wouldn't dream of messing up your kids' class time."

"Dream?"

It was a simple enough question, of course. Nora wasn't even sure it _was_ a question, but the look in his eyes displayed his obvious confusion, and Nora had to remind herself that vulcans may look similar to humans, but they were far from it. She started with the obvious next question. "Vulcans don't dream?"

He finally raised a gracefully pointed eyebrow. "I cannot tell whether or not my kind partakes in such an action if you do not describe what it is."

"It's…" Nora struggled for the words. "It occurs when you sleep. Your subconscious thinks up different scenarios in your resting state and you feel as if you are experiencing an event that you are only imagining." She paused. "Sometimes you can control it, but most of the times it's like a first-person movie. And they can get pretty strange – depending on how screwed up your subconscious is at the time."

Nora could barely see the tiny nod he gave before returning his eyes to hers. "Indeed, vulcans do not experience this. However I am curious to learn more. I have very little experience with alien species." He stopped, obviously thinking as his eyes dropped from hers for a split second. "Why would your subconscious wish you to believe you are disrupting a class?"

This made Nora laugh again. "It's just figure of speech. I just meant that I wouldn't want to disrupt the class anyhow."

He took a moment, eyeing Nora as if she had just grown purple grass on her face. "I see."

And then they were walking again, farther down the hall. "So what's next, Professor?" Nora said after a minute of silence.

"The next class is for the younger children who have difficulties with their mental shields."

So this is what the driver had been talking about? Nora still wasn't entirely sure what these mental shields were and why some younger kids had troubles with them. She decided that if there was any time to ask, it would be now. "I'd heard about this type of class. What do you mean by, 'difficulties with their mental shields'?"

Svek glanced at her through the corner of his eye but didn't move his gaze more than that. "Most vulcans have developed the inherent ability to construct mental barriers throughout their mind so that emotional suppression is far easier to conduct. I am sure you know of my kind's adversity to physical contact?" Nora nodded. "Do you know the reasons for this?"

Nora dug through her brain for an answer. "I've always thought it was because of the touch telepathy. You don't want others to read your mind, right?"

The professor shook his head. "It is indeed our ability of touch telepathy, however it is not because we do not wish others to sense our thoughts. It is simply the transference of emotions that we do not want to experience. When vulcans touch one another, or that of another species, we can sense their general emotions – however actual thoughts are not available with a simple touch." He paused, looking at Nora as if to see if she was still listening. Surprisingly, she seemed openly awed at the new information. He continued, "Sometimes physical contact cannot be avoided, and therefore mental barriers can be strengthened to a point where we are not able to sense another's emotions. The shields protect from exterior forces as well as interior ones."

Nora's brain was scrambling after the information, trying to make sense of it all and put pieces of the puzzle that was the vulcan species together. In the small amount of time she was thinking, they arrived outside the next door. Svek turned to her now, waiting to finish the conversation before entering the classroom. "So what you're saying is that some vulcan kids aren't born with this natural ability?"

"Yes. When the initial teachings begin at the age of three, most children are able to construct at least the weakest of barriers. However a few cannot perform this task, and are sent to specialized schools such as this one to be intensively trained through their early years until they are able to do so on their own."

Nora thought about it for a while before nodding her head slowly, then bringing her eyes back to his grey ones. He seemed patient enough to wait for her to respond, so she said softly, "Alright. I think I understand – well at least partially. Can we go in now?"

Professor Svek nodded. "Of course," he said before moving to the control panel and opening the doors.

The first thing that Nora noticed was that all of the children seemed to automatically stare at her. It wasn't as if they were being rude or creepy, they just seemed... curious. The second thing was that there weren't any teachers in the room either - well, except for Svek. "Um... hi?" she said lamely.

The children didn't even seem to notice that she had said something. She turned to Professor Svek for help, but he was already across the room and at what looked to be a desk area for the teacher. He looked up at her and noticed her look of anxiety. "This is my class," he said slowly, as if she were stupid.

"Oh."

Then he began striding back towards her, catching the eye of a few students. There weren't that many, really, now that Nora really thought about it. There were only... four, five... six kids. _Only six? _she thought. Maybe the mental barrier thing was rarer than she had originally thought. Suddenly Svek was beside her again and she immediately felt easier, though she wasn't sure why. "Children," he addressed the class. "This is Elnora. She is here to observe our class for the time being."

"I thought you didn't have class right now. T'Pahri said - "

"You need not whisper, the children will hear you in whatever style you chose to speak."

Nora sighed. _Well then_. "I thought you were free for a while, that's why you were giving me the tour!" She couldn't help but sound a little aggravated - it was bound to happen at some point anyway, why not let it be in front of a bunch of adorable little kids? _Not_.

Svek seemed a little put off by her show of irritation, but not as much as she thought he would have been. "I was free at the time, however my regular children were scheduled to arrive shortly after the headmaster called me to her office. I had assumed that was why she asked me to give you the tour. You now have the opportunity to observe an extremely specialized class on an average day. Is that not what you wanted?"

Damn him and his logic. Of course this is what she wanted to see. Sighing as if to relieve the tension through her breath, she sagged against a wall and nodded at him. "That is what I wanted to see, yeah."

He didn't even speak then, only nodded, and straightened his back to face the class. This would be an interesting couple of hours.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N - Thanks NG for the support. :) It really helps to have someone that deticated to help keep my inspired. And, as I said last time: The updates are still going to take a while longer than usual, so sorry for the wait. Hope it was worth it! **

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The class took far longer than Nora had originally thought it would. Being with only six kids would generally mean that the class didn't have much to do in the way of larger projects, but it seemed as if each child was given his or her own personal lesson. The strangest thing about it wasn't the fact that each had their own time, but that there were barely any words spoken in the three hours that the class went on. There were no questions or arguments, only silent understanding between teacher and student. It was fascinating.

Probably the biggest thing Nora found out was that when Professor Svek 'taught' the kids to use their mental shields, he wasn't actually lecturing or giving out tips. He would literally meld with the child for twenty to thirty minutes and, Nora guessed, made the mental shields for them. Teach by example, she supposed.

It seemed to work, too. When Nora had first stepped into the classroom, the children seemed almost fidgety and nervous around her. It was as if they were frightened she would attack them or make them do something 'un-vulcan', but after Svek had his time with them, they seemed immediately more calm and detached, like most vulcans.

Nora wasn't sure what the vulcan children would have been like, but it seemed they differ very little from the adults of their species. It was truly fascinating – Nora had always liked children, and they had been a big part of her studies so far. It was interesting to see how the adolescence effected each species, and how the adults would handle them, and most species were very dissimilar in that regard. The vulcans were no different. They seemed to treat their children like adults themselves, and the children acted like it. There didn't seem to be very many disciplinary issues, and if there were, she hadn't seen or heard of any yet.

It seemed even quieter than it had been before, but that was ridiculous – it was completely silent then too. After Svek had finished with the children, he had gone back to the desk at the end of the room. It wasn't like other human teachers' desk areas – more like the students', actually. It was a large, metal desk with a small PADD on it, nothing more. There was a metal chair that Svek was using as he worked on his PADD, but it looked extremely uncomfortable, to be honest.

It was almost as if he had forgotten about her, though. She had been sitting in the corner, observing in complete silence throughout the whole three hours that the class had gone on for, and he didn't seem to acknowledge her after that first little introduction. The children were still in the room, however they were meditating over in a soundproof corner that was apparently made specifically for that exact purpose.

It had been at least ten minutes since Professor Svek had walked over to his desk and forgotten about her. Nora waited patiently until he finally found it was okay to talk to her again, but it was as if he was content to sit there and let her fidget uncomfortably. Then, as if on cue, he said, "Miss Elnora, it is not my intention to make you uncomfortable. Please forgive me."

Nora was dumbfounded – it was as if he had read her mind. Cautiously, she leaned forward minutely and whispered, "How did you know I was uncomfortable?"

The professor remained stiff as always. "As I have stated before, you need not whisper. The children will either hear you, or they will not. And because they are in the meditation room, they will not."

Nora sighed. She didn't need this constant correction. Bringing up her voice up another couple octaves, she said, "You didn't answer my question."

Svek simply nodded. "You are projecting. Vulcans are primarily touch telepathic, but if a being who is completely without mental barriers is near, it is possible to find traces of that being's emotional state. However, it is not possible to see anything clearer than that, you need not worry."

Once again feeling slightly overwhelmed, Nora drew blank for a moment. "Sorry," she finally got out. "I didn't mean to make you feel my uncomfortable… ness…" she fumbled, her thoughts trailing once again. The funny thing about your brain is that when you tell it not to think a certain thing, it goes completely out of its way to not only think about that thing, but intensify it and make it even worse than it originally was. At that moment, Nora was trying desperately not to think about how dark and mysterious Svek's gray eyes were. She gulped, blushing slightly but not saying another word.

Svek simply raised an eyebrow. After a moment, though, he said almost wearily, "I am unsure as to whether or not you were aware of this, but I just experienced a very strong wave of... an unknown emotion from you. Perhaps you could enlighten me?"

Good god, he didn't know what that emotion was! Nora didn't know if she should be extremely relieved by this or... saddened. "Um... Yes, I was aware of it. And... no, I'd rather not say what it was," she finished awkwardly, trying to hold back a cough.

Good thing vulcans were no stranger to privacy. He nodded shortly, but didn't say anything else. Then he once again returned to his PADD, much to the disappointment of Nora. She grumbled again, but tried to keep the emotion reigned in at least a small amount. It didn't seem to work, though, as Svek looked up suddenly, as if shocked. "Why are you experiencing more emotions? Had I not sated them?"

The image of Svek and sating really… didn't do what she was wanting to do right now. But she brushed away the initial thoughts and stood up, walking over to the professor's desk. "No, actually. I don't know how you vulcans handle school guests, but back on Earth we don't just leave them in a corner and expect them to be silent while the teacher works." She tried not to seethe, she really did. It's just that… well, to be honest she's always had a bit of a temper problem, and being in a constant company of vulcans was starting to grate on her. And it was only the first week!

Svek seemed to think about his response for a long time, but soon dragged his eyes up to meet hers. Those dark gray eyes looked almost… apologetic. "I do not know how vulcans 'handle' guests to the school because we do not usually host them. I apologize if my manners have been less than expected. I am… unfamiliar with humans." He seemed almost as if he was admitting an insecurity to her.

Nora was a bit stunned, honestly. She'd gone and accused the poor professor again, and all he had done was apologize for something he didn't have any control over. And no experience with humans? "No, no…" she started, pulling up her own chair to sit near his desk. He looked puzzled at the movement, but she carried on. "It's me who should be apologizing. I've always been a bit rambunctious with my emotions, especially since my last planet was Cardassia Prima – a planet that prides itself on emotions and social interaction more than Earth." She paused, letting the professor think about that for a while until he nodded in understanding. Still, the curiosity bothered her. "And what do you mean 'unfamiliar with humans'? I thought the vulcan people were pretty familiar with other species."

Svek shook his head slowly, keeping his eye contact with Nora. "I do not know much about alien species other than what is taught in school – that which is primarily the history of the galaxy in general and not a specific species. The extent of my human knowledge is what is taught about First Contact and the general stereotypes – however I tend not to acknowledge most."

This guy, man. This guy just kept on surprising Nora, over and over again. Was he a vulcan norm? Did they not know much about other species? The only vulcans Nora had ever really known about were the famous ones – famous in human society anyway. Maybe that was why she was under that particular impression. Apparently vulcans were just like any other species – if they never seek it out, they never know.

Nora was about to reply, but Svek cut her off. He sounded almost as if he was nervous to reveal something to her, but thought better of it anyway. "I have been… curious of human society for a time. Perhaps you would allow me to inquire after that knowledge?" he asked, looking as if he wanted to look away from her and break the eye contact, but held it nonetheless. It was almost as if he was fighting an internal battle with himself for this conversation. Was he really that far out of his comfort zone?

"Uh… sure."

* * *

After a long, drawn out conversation about the politics, emotional expression, geography, and general societal norms, Svek got a call from a small communicator on the wall. He looked almost disappointed to halt the conversation – and Nora felt it too, to be honest – but he turned around in his chair and pressed the blinking button. "Professor Svek here."

It was that nasty headmaster again. "Is your session with the human concluded?" she sounded slightly less aggravated than the last time Nora had a talk with her, but she felt as if that would soon change.

"Negative," said Svek simply. It was as if he didn't want to reveal the depth of their conversation with his boss. Understandable – he had explained how the stuff he asked about was for his own personal curiosity, and Nora could see not wanting the boss to find out you'd been indulging on the job.

"Is she currently in your classroom?" The voice was still unclipped, even though she knew that Nora was still in the building. _Curious_, Nora thought.

"I'm here!" Nora shouted from over Svek's shoulder, having leant in quite a bit to hear the communicator. Svek stiffened, as if he hadn't realized she was that close. After a moment, he relaxed and leaned slightly farther away. Nora chose to ignore it, speaking back up again. "Is there something you needed, Headmaster?"

The response was not immediate. "Indeed. I wish for your and Professor Svek's attendance. Report to my office." Again, the voice was still unangered. Had T'Pahri finally reined in her emotions again like a good little vulcan, or was she thinking about something else?

Nora glanced at Svek before turning away and standing up. "Are we in trouble?"

The professor surprised her by replying: "I am unsure."

The walk to the headmaster's office was a shorter one than the last. Nora thought it might be because of the complete silence between herself and her new vulcan friend. They originally were very uncomfortable in their first conversation down these halls, but now there seemed to be a sort of ease between them, and it made the journey far less tense. Time flies when you're not being silently tortured.

When the couple finally got to the headmaster's office, the silent company of professor Svek was a comfort, and Nora was somewhat sad to see it end. Taking a deep breath, she looked up at him for a moment before stepping forward and letting the door automatically open.

The old woman was sitting at her desk – that looked incredibly more comfortable than Svek's had been – and looked to be completely unemotional and serene. Maybe their first impressions weren't the best. "I have been informed that you are a xenologist," she stated simply, as if she was informing Nora that it was hot outside.

Nora was dumbstruck. "Um… I guess so. Sort of. Unofficially. How did you…?"

"I am also aware that you have a degree in teaching."

Well, yeah. She had always loved kids, and you kind of have to have a job to save up enough money to go around the quadrant. "I…" Nora started, unsure how any of this was relevant and how the headmaster had gotten that information. Had she…?

"I can sense your confusion. I have indeed 'looked you up', as is the terran phrase. I merely intended to assure myself that you were safe – however, as you can see, I have found something quite interesting." She didn't seem mad anymore – in fact she seemed almost happy about what she found, which generally had Nora's alarm bells ringing. What else had she found that was so interesting to her?

"Well, I guess I never made it very secret. I mean, the work I do now is my life, so it would be a bit ridiculous to try and keep it to myself. I must admit, though, that I've never had someone check up on me. Why is it so interesting? Surely you've had others who were curious."

"Not so curious as to come to our homeworld. As you have no doubt deciphered by now, the atmosphere isn't as hospitable to terrans as it is to the vulcans."

Nora didn't quite know how to respond. "Um… true, but that hasn't stopped me before."

Headmaster T'Pahri nodded in agreement. "Indeed. The information I found stated that you had visited other planets, but I could not find their names. I am interesting in knowing your work more, if that is agreeable?"

Nora was still a little surprised to see such interest from the once-rude headmaster. "Uhm… sure, if you want. What is it that you want to know?"

The headmaster's eyes almost lit up. "What planets have you been to? How long were you there? What did you study?" she racked up the questions, her curiosity evident. But it was like she had another motive.

Well that was quite a bit of info the vulcan wanted. "Well…" Nora turned to realize that Svek was still in the room as well, and he looked positively overwhelmed with curiosity. Nora had a feeling these vulcans don't get out much. Though, to be fair, neither did she when she was a teacher. "I've been to New Romulus, Qo'noS, Risa, Bajor, and Cardassia so far. Every planet I go to, I stay for a year, and the main purpose is to learn everything I can about them. Get to know the planet and its people closely, as if I've lived there forever. Notice the things no one else does. Make friends with locals, get used to the surroundings – you know, just… learn the culture."

The headmaster was quiet for a few moments, then looked almost excited. "And you have learned much about the cultures of these planets, then."

"Sure. Lots. That's the point."

"Of course." T'Pahri thought for another moment. "You will require an income to go to your next planet, yes?"

This caught Nora off guard. "Well, actually, I have just enough to get from Vulcan to Andoria. Consequently, though, I don't have enough for Andoria to Earth, or any of the necessities along the way. So yeah, I'm going to have to get some sort of income soon. Why?"

"It seems our Xenology professor has just received an opportunity to work in the Vulcan Science Academy, and has left the school. The position is open, if it is suitable for you. The income would be substantially larger than that of your Terran job, as vulcans place education above all else. This school would benefit from your presence."

Nora couldn't believe what she was hearing. A teaching job? Here at this school for special children? "Sure! Totally! I would love to work here! I've only met a few of the kids so far, but I'm sure they're all little angels! Yes! Yes." So what if she just had a massive emotional outburst – she couldn't help it. Being offered a position at a school with all those adorable little vulcans, teaching them all about the klingons, and the bajorans, and even the humans! Plus, she'd get to see Professor Svek more, and somehow that made her stay on Vulcan sound a lot more bearable.

The headmaster did look a bit out of sorts after the outburst – and so did Svek, really – but she recovered quickly and gave a firm nod. "It is settled then. You will begin next week. I will have someone clean the original professor's things out, and you will be able to bring in your own."

Nora couldn't help the enormous smile that then stretched across her face. This planet was already looking better than the past ones. Maybe this time she'll actually find her niche. Even on Cardassia she was always a bit out of place, but maybe here she'd find it easier.

* * *

"Man, you're fitting in quite a bit faster than I thought. Congrats!" Earrot said excitedly. At least he was a bit happy for her – she hadn't thought he'd be too pleased.

"Yeah. And I've already made a friend – well… sort of. Acquaintance. As friendly as you can get with a vulcan on the day you met. Y'know. But I think we hit it off. He seems really interested in human culture, which is totally okay with me. We've already had a huge conversation about our culture's differences and all that jazz." Nora wasn't just happy about that either – she was blissful. It was one thing to have a deep, intriguing conversation with a vulcan you just met – it was another one entirely that he was handsome and you get to see him every day.

She thought she saw a sparkle of jealousy in his eyes, but it flashed away just as quickly as it came. He knew she wasn't interested, and he tried to respect that. And she was grateful – that whole tirade late last year wasn't the most fun time ever. "Sounds like a lot of fun," he paused, taking a deep breath. "So… when do you think you'll come back?"

Nora laughed. "It'll be a while yet, Earrot. I just got here."

He paused again, looking away. "I know, it just miss you." The sadness in his eyes at that moment was one of the worst things she had ever seen. He looked genuinely depressed.

Nora sighed and suddenly wished she could reach through the screen and give him a hug. He looked like she had died and he was speaking to her corpse. "Earrot…" she started – but she didn't know what to say. She felt as if everything she said would either make it worse or not do anything at all. "I'm not dead, you know. I still call – as you can see – and I promise I will come see you. But only after I've at least had time to settle in. This is my life's work, Earrot. Surely you can understand."

He nodded immediately. "Of course. I'm sorry."

Nora shook her head, already regretting to harsh tone her voice had taken. "No, I'm sorry. I know you miss me – I miss you as well. But there are things I need to do before I go running back to my safe haven."

This actually got a small quirk of the lips. "Cardassia is your safe haven?"

Nora imagined elbowing him in the ribs. "Oh, you know it is," she said with not just a hint of sincerity. After that, the conversation sailed along much more smoothly.


End file.
